Joy helps kids feel better.
Children fighting cancer and other serious illnesses need uplifting and engaging experiences that bring measurable and immediate improvement to their emotional wellness. That’s why we’re here.
Kids deserve joy, period.
Kids deserve joy, period.
A Mission Founded on Joy & Experience
Children’s Cancer Association was founded in 1995 by the Ellis family after their five-year-old daughter, Alexandra, died of cancer. Together with other caring trailblazers and parents, they set out to create something extraordinary: an organization with a new vision for what pediatric cancer support services look like.
Today, we help sick kids feel like kids again through our JoyRx Music, Mentorship, and Nature experiences. With these free-of-charge programs, seriously ill children can laugh, play, and find their joy even during life’s most challenging moments.
Simply put — joy helps sick kids feel better.
We are proud of the impact our donors have funded since 1995, earning status as a GuideStar Platinum-rated charity, a Great Nonprofits top-rated organization, and a three-star Charity Navigator nonprofit — as well as being named one of Oregon’s top ten Most Admired Companies in 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020, as voted by our region’s CEOs in the Portland Business Journal.
We are deeply grateful for the generosity of our donors and partners and work hard to maintain the highest levels of transparency and stewardship, as reflected by these accolades.
Our Company & Finances
JoyRx is nationwide
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Create joy with us!
Individuals and organizations can make a difference in the lives of the children and families we serve through giving, volunteering, partnering, creating events, and more.